No HBCU players taken in the ‘24 NFL Draft

I think some of the ado being made here is a response to the league at least trying to highlight/showcase HBCU players who may have gone overlooked previously, especially at a time when the people in the newsrooms now were the overlooked players from seasons past. A good friend of mine is a writer for a notable HBCU athletics site, and the site covered the topic all of three times: potential 2024 draft prospects, a 2024 UDFA signing ticker, and a look forward to 2025. It's not teeming with editorials bellyaching about this being the first draft since 2020 to not feature any HBCU draftees. It's mentioned then moved past.

Isaiah Major signed with the Saints as a UDFA - at 6'1 230, he's rangy and agile, and lined up mainly at the Sam linebacker position. He saw some snaps at safety and even nickel back. He's described as deeply knowledgeable, rarely out of position, and a sure tackler. He was the 2023 SWAC defensive player of the year and was a finalist for the FCS defensive player of the year award. Do I feel he deserved to be drafted? Sure, but I watched all seven rounds go by and a reasonably highly-rated LB from a P5 school (Curtis Jacobs, Penn State) didn't get drafted, and his tape and reports read similarly. This could just have been a year where the strongest recruits were in loaded positions - or deprioritized ones.

I think the ask from HBCU student-athletes and their coaches is "please, give us a look" - and the Celebration Bowl, Legacy Bowl, and HBCU Pigskin Showdown are great efforts to shine a light on HBCU talent.